“The Pergamum Prophecy”: “Hero” and “Villain” starter decks
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collectible Card Game is a collectible trading card game based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series. It was initially released in 2001 by Score Entertainment, until January 2004 Score no longer hold the rights to this intellectual property.
Summary
Players compete to be the first to successfully either earn 10 destiny points, or control Sunnydale Park for 6 turns. Destiny points are earned for winning fights and completing challenges, while control of Sunnydale Park is established by being the only player with characters in the park at the end of a turn.
The game is played as a board game of sorts, using a pair of playmats which represent Sunnydale. Individual spots on the playmat represent different locations, while the middle section (shared by the two players) represents the park. Cards are played to these locations and move around between the locations during the various phases of the game.
Sets
The 200-card Buffy the Vampire Slayer Collectible Card Game base set is known as the “Pergamum Prophecy”. Two expansions were also produced: “Angel’s Curse” and “Class of ‘99”. The former featured cards involving Buffy Summers struggling against her vampiric ex-boyfriend Angel, while the latter introduced Episode cards to the game system. There are a total of 629 unique cards. A series of themed decks were also produced that were based on the episode "The Wish".
After the “Class of ‘99” expansion, Score Entertainment no longer produced Buffy CCG expansions, so the “Slayer on Campus” expansion was not be released. Promoted “P1 Defective Weapon” was the only “Slayer on Campus” known card.
Cards
Essences
Cards representing the main character who has been selected for a given deck. Essence cards are kept to the side to track destiny points.
Characters
Versions of the main character and supporting characters. Character cards often feature the same character with a different level value (representing a more experienced version of the same individual). Almost every Character card in the game included the four core stats used in game play. (The one exception was a “Ghost Willow” card, which had no butt kicking attribute.) Top to bottom, and by color, these stats were:
- Butt Kicking - Yellow Shield
- Charm - Blue Flame
- Smarts - Blue Book
- Weirdness - Red Symbol
Many of the character cards also included other traits. The traits that could be found on the Score produced cards were as follows: Human, Vampire, Demon, Computer, Demonology, Spellcraft, Science, Occult, Werewolf, Rat, Initiative, Wuss, Monster, Supernatural Assassin, Undead, German.
Challenges
Challenges and trials which can be defeated for destiny points. Heroes and companions can only attempt good challenges, while villains and minions can only attempt evil challenges.
Locations
The various unique and non-unique locales of Sunnydale. These cards stay in play for the duration of the game at a given square, providing some effect.
Skills & Items
Talents, abilities, and possessions which provide bonuses to the cards they are attached to. Alternately, these cards can be played from the hand to give a +1 bonus to a talent during a fight or challenge.
Events
Major incidents or events which are taking place. These cards have an effect and then are immediately discarded. Each specific event can only be played once per game.
Actions
Cards playing during various steps of the game. They can grant bonuses to talents or otherwise change things at a moment’s notice.
Episodes
Part 1 and part 2 of specific episodes from the television show. They heavily influence the overall game, with triggers causing the transition between the first and second parts of the episode.
Decks
Decks must be designed as either “Hero & Companion” decks or “Villain & Minion” decks. This means, for example, that when the main character is a hero, minions and villains cannot be included in the same deck.
- The challenge deck must have exactly 7 different challenges.
- The location deck must have 4 to 8 different (non-unique) location cards.
- The resource deck must have at least 40 cards (or 60 cards for tournament play).
- No more than half of the deck can be action cards, and no more than half of the deck can be character decks.
- There is a limit of 3 of any given card, and only 3 character cards per level per character are permitted (so that one cannot have 4 different level 1 Buffy cards).
- Each deck must also have one Hero/Villain Essence Card, along with a corresponding Level 1 character card.